11 Days until Armistice
Western Front
Foch’s plan for final phase of general offensive (until November 11): major thrusts by BEF in North and AEF in South, both supported by French armies on their flanks. BEF is to force the Scheldt, advance to Maubeuge and press on to seize Meuse crossings from Namur to Dinant. If taken before Germans evacuate Flanders they are to be pressed back against border of neutral Holland and captured. In south, US First and French Fourth Armies to advance by forced marches to seize Mezieres and Sedan, so isolating Germans facing French Centre Army Group and sever the great lateral railway Bruges-Ghent-Maubeuge-Mezieres–Metz, key artery to half of Western Front.
Scheldt: Battle of Valenciennes (until November 3): Haig turns Scheldt defences (Hermann position) and pushes east and north to Maubeuge, Mons and river Dendre. BEF Third and First Armies attack on 6-mile front and reach Valenciennes outskirts (4th Canadian Division captures Mont Houy) despite German 28th Reserve Division counter-attack with 4 (captured BEF) tanks (2 lost), last such effort. BEF Fourth Army’s 32nd Division and 3 tanks attacks Happegarbes Spur southwest of Landrecies. Constant rain (until November 11).
Aisne and Meuse: FRANCO-US offensive begins: US First Army (7 divisions) with 19 tanks and right wing of French Fourth Army; US V Corps in centre, drives a 5-mile deep wedge into German lines astride Bourgogne Wood including first AEF use of mustard gas (41t of gas, 36,000 round), as 4 German divisions overrun. US 5th Division crosses Meuse isolating Dun-sur-Meuse.
Western Front, Air: D.H.9s bomb Brussels rail station and Maubeuge.
Fonck’s 75th and final victory, a German leaflet-dropping two-seater.
Germany, Black Sea and Mediterranean: German Naval Air Service 1,478 aircraft and seaplanes with 16,122 men (2,116 aircrew) at 32 seaplane 17 land air bases strong.
New Zealand soldiers with a captured German machine gun at Sapignies, France:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...596832631660544
American wounded getting sandwich rolls and chocolate at a Red Cross Bureau at Toulouse:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...657237374668806
Eastern Front
Ukraine National Council assumes administration of East Galicia. "State of War" begins between The Ukraine and Poland (see 23rd). Fighting breaks out between Ukrainian and Polish forces in Lemberg (Lviv, Lwów), sparking the Polish-Ukrainian War. Lemberg proclaimed to be in state of siege.
Germany: Between 1-11 November 2 German divisions transfer to Western Front.
North Russia: In November A A Samoilo made C-in-C Sixth Detached Red Army (headquarter Vologda). Red Western Front formed and Ukrainian Soviet Army (late November).
Don: Red Army takes offensive vs Denisov’s Great Don Host (50,000 men).
North Russia: In November 2 air squadrons (White and RAF plus 6 Sopwith Camel fighters form late November) go into action above Dvina Force.
Southern Front
Third Battle of the Piave (aka
Battle of Vittorio Veneto): Austrians retreat from Venetian Alps and plain towards River Tagliamento.
Comando Supremo receives Allied armistice terms by telephone from Paris by 0615 hours, General Pietro Badoglio tells Austrians’ actual text available only on November 2. Allies progress on Asiago plateau, Italians reoccupy Belluno and Longarone. Last Austrian GHQ communique ‘In the Veneto the evacuation operations proceed’.
In the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, Italian troops push on Austrian positions on Monte Grappa. Italian machine gunners on Monte Grappa:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...627020757229568
Serbia: Belgrade retaken by Serbian forces (see October 9th, 1915, and December 9th, 1918).
Eastern Front/West Asia Border Theater
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Merv retaken by British and White Russian forces [Approximate date.] (see August 18th).
Naval and Overseas Operations
Adratic: Italian raid sinks the Austro-Hungarian battleship SMS
Viribus Unitis. However, the Italians didn’t know the ship had been transferred to the newly-established (and neutral) State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs. The sinking kills around 300-400 crew: © Q 80983.
Rhodesia: German force in East Africa enters Rhodesia and attacks Fife (see 9th and September 29th).
Political, etc
Austria: Baron Ludwig von Flotow succeeds Count Guyla Andrassy (provisionally) as Austrian Foreign Minister (see October 24th and October 25th).
Austrian Expressionist painter Egon Schiele dies to the Spanish flu at the age of 28, only three days after his pregnant wife also died to the flu. His self-portrait:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...718880209117187
Hungary: Independent Hungarian Government formed. Count Mihály Károlyi as Prime Minister.
With Budapest controlled by revolutionary soldiers and protestors, Emperor Karl of Austria-Hungary recognizes pro-Entente, anti-war politician Mihály Károlyi as the Prime Minister of Hungary:
https://twitter.com/CenturyAgoToday...688684395458561
Russia: Early November Communist Youth League Komsomol founded; 100,000 members by end of 1919.
France: Versailles Conference opens. Around this date the Supreme Allied Council for Supply and Relief is formed.
United Kingdom: British War Cabinet decide to recognize Provisional Siberian Government.
RFP up 4% to 133%. Shipbuilding control transferred from Admiralty to Shipping Ministry.
Turkey: Talaat Pasha addresses last Congress of Party of Union and Progress, admits massacre of innocent Armenians by many officials.
Bulgaria: King Boris of Bulgaria abdicates (see October 4th). Peasant Government established at Tirnova under leadership of Mr. Aleksandr Stambuliski.
United States: 306,719 Army flu cases since September 12; 19,429 deaths.
Emerging States: Great Serbian National Council proclaimed at Sarajevo (Bosnia).